Wednesday, September 19, 2012

We are happy and honored to be a part of Julie Herman's Skip the Borders Blog Book Tour. Julie is a talented and profilic quilter. I can't wait for her to write a book featuring her Hex n More ruler (hint, hint).

Skip the Borders is a great book for both beginning and experienced quilters. The patterns range in difficulty and are perfect for showcasing a variety of fabric. And if you need the quilt to be larger just add a border!

Julie's brilliant introduction includes a detailed explanation of backing and binding.
She makes quilt backs fun and exciting, showing several examples of how to make backings using leftover fabric from the quilt top and how to sew labels into your backing.

The introduction also has a focus on binding. Julie is the binding queen, guiding us through the ins and outs of binding. She encourages you to get creative with your binding by using the various techniques and playing with prints.

The first section of the book shows "one-block quilts." These patterns are great for both beginners and experienced quilters. Julie uses exciting prints and color to make each block shine.

The "two-block quilts" section focuses on quilts with two different block designs in the layout.

The third section of the book features "Outside-the-Block Quilts" which are fresh and unique. I cannot wait to make the Framed Coins quilt!

Now for a little Q&A.

Julie: All of the quilts in Skip the Borders are borderless! Do you skip borders on most of your quilts? Kimberly: I add borders to all of my quilts. I love the finished edging of a border even if it is a skinny 2” border. My favorite quilts in the book are Box of Chocolates and White Stars! I plan to make both of these and to just add a 2” border to them! That is what is so great about this book, you can always add borders if you want!

Julie: In the intro to my book I give you Permission to Break the Rules. Do you break some quilting rules? What is the number one rule you break and why?Kimberly: I stick to most quilting rules since I am an “in the box” type of person. However, I never prewash and I use a ton of steam and even more starch when making my quilts. I starch when I first iron my fabrics and I starch the blocks every time I go to the ironing board. Sometimes my blocks feel like cardboard when I am done. But I love the stiffness of the block. When the quilt is quilted you can’t tell that I even used starch.

Julie: It's no secret that I love binding! In Skip the Borders I included an entire chapter on binding. So the million dollar question, is do you use bias or straight of grain most of the time?Kimberly: I always use straight binding and I cut my bindings at 2.5” for lap size quilts and 2” for crib sized quilts. I am not patient and bias binding is a little too tricky for the speed I like to achieve.

Lucky for all of our Jolly Jabber readers, we are giving away an e-book of Skip the Borders. The giveaway is now closed and Sherry B is our lucky winner. Thanks for playing!

Sometimes I use borders, sometimes I don't.....I like both. However, I would love to win the book for more information on binding and some new patterns. I especially love the coin quilt with the frames around them.

It depends on the quilt. Sometimes I leave the border off, change it, or add a border or two. I use the pattern as a starting point, but make whatever alterations necessary to fulfill my vision of what the quilt should be. Thanks for the giveaway! raybanfandango at hotmail dot com

I've never skipped the borders, as I've only made one quilt, which is still getting quilted! I've heard more complaints about the borders than any other part of the quilt. This borderless quilt idea sounds fantastic!

For me it depends on the size of the quilt! If I accidentally ended up with a square, then borders get added to top-and-bottom for length. If I don't think I'll be able to fit the quilt through my machine if it's any bigger, then definitely no borders, lol! :) Thanks for the chance to win!

well since I've only made 2 quilts so far & both were borderless, I guess I am a no borders quilter! however, the one I am currently working on will have borders! I will try anything once! can't wait to get this book if I don't win the ebook!

I do usually add borders but I think that's because I usually do exactly what the pattern tells me like a geek! The quilt I'm working on right now doesn't have borders because I was having a rebellious moment whilst planning it and decided to do an extra row of blocks instead. This book looks fabulous!

Most the time I use borders, and have skipped borders too (my first quilt). Usually it depends on whether I have enough fabric and the size of the quilt (too big or too little requiring an adjustment). I would love to learn from Julie's book as admire her quilt designs.

Most the time I use borders, and have skipped borders too (my first quilt). Usually it depends on whether I have enough fabric and the size of the quilt (too big or too little requiring an adjustment). I would love to learn from Julie's book as admire her quilt designs.

I was in a shop in Ft. Worth this week and saw the book and THREE of the quilts! Beautiful! I would love to have this ebook and prop up my iPad next to my sewing table soon. I'm not a huge fan of boarders but something to achieve the size I want, I will add a border. :-)

yes, i skip borders, but it depends on the quilt pattern. if the size is o.k. without, that's fine, no border. but, it really depends on how it would look without a border, whether or not the binding would finish it off. thanx for the chance to win this great patterns book.

It really depends on the quilt but I've made a lot of baby quilts as gifts this year and the majority of them were "skip the border"; looks like a great book; thanks for chance! (EMAIL: marshudson at comcast dot net)

I usually put a border on because I like to do some hand quilting in it. But I love the look of the borderless quilts and I'm sure I'll be trying it out. Would love to have a copy of this book so am crossing my fingers my number comes up!

My first quilt is in the planning stage, I'm not intending to use a border! All I am missing is a little confidence before I can get started! I love the look of this book, all the quilts look gorgeous :)

I have done only one quilt where I have skipped the borders, and I am now going to do more! The borders always fret me out--do I have enough fabric, what width should I make them, what color, etc, etc. This looks really liberating & exciting. Thanks for the sweet giveaway to help make this easier!

What a neat book! I have only been quilting for a year. I always do exactly as the directions state, so I have never skipped a border. May I add I do NOT like putting borders on!!! They are hard for me for some reason.

I've skipped borders on occasion, but not always. I've been following the blog tour of Skip the Borders and this book looks like a great one ~ I especially like the White Stars quilt!thanks for the giveaway!

well, only my second quilt, made about 15 years ago. was borderless. it had lots of planes on it, for my husband, who was learning to fly at the time.. BUT i should do more .. would love this book to get back into it! The sample quilts are my style, too

I like borders when they are part of the design but never add them just to make it bigger, sand never add HUGE borders for that same reason...I have been making more borderless quilts than bordered lately tho. I love what I have seen of this book! Can't wait to use my new ruler...TIA! B-)

A lot of my UFO projects are due to the borders!!! I get the middle part done...and when I get to the border (which to me isn't as much fun), I lose my momentum!! I need to give myself 'permission' to not worry about a border and just add the binding!!! Now bindings....I love them! :)Keeping my fingers crossed because it is such a great give away! :)

I am a add the border type of gal but my ideas are evolving so this would be something new to try:)I am a big Julie fan and have a few of her older patterns just not had the time to make them yet:( Story of our lives:)Thanks for offering this book!

Never thought about that. Just a few of my quilts have borders. for the most part they don't have one, because they didn't need one. judy's book and blog make me think about that. I would like to give a try in future in a more thoughtful way.Katia

Julie Herman is sooo talented. When you look at these borderless quilts, the borders are not even missed. I love the look of just seeing the pattern of the blocks and all the motion they create without bumping into a wall. I will start planning one of thesesoon. Thanks for the give-away.

I can't say that I've made enough quilts to say if I have a rule about skipping the borders but I know I WANT to! I don't like feeling like I have to but I don't want to ruin blocks that would look better framed with a border.

I'm probably 50-50 on adding borders or not. Sometimes the frame that a border adds feels right, but quilts don't always need that added visual element. I've loved seeing the borderless quilts being featured in the blog tour and would love to win a copy of the book.

Such gorgeous quilts in Julie's book. I have made quilts where I have skipped the borders. I usually wait and see what the quilt tells me when I get to that point. When I first started quilting, I'd buy all my fabric at once. I no longer buy border fabric early because more than once I've gotten to that point and either the fabric I picked doesn't work or it looks better without one.